Falling Free
by Rothery
Summary: She stumbled onwards the staff blasts raging on behind her. Her breathing heavy and loud in her ears, and her heart had started to ache. Maybe it was time to give up?


**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate…**

_Was this what it felt like to die?_

_Does everybody feel their heartbeat drum through their veins, and wipe out all feelings of fear and guilt?_

_Is everybody left standing on a cliffs edge waiting for that helping hand to push them from it?_

_Does everybody close their eyes and listen to the sounds around them, and hear their breathing as if it was somebody talking?_

_Or was she the only one?_

_Was she the only one to smile as life left her lungs?_

_**(Then…)**_

Her pulse raced as she ran through the sparse growth of trees and thorns; their razor sharp branches and prickles tearing her skin.

Her muscles ached and her head felt light, and her eyes strained to remain open as her legs carried her as fast as they could go.

"_Carter…" pause "…Carter __Respond!"_

It had been hours since they'd last tried to contact her, maybe they'd given up already, or maybe the batteries in her radio had died out.

Maybe she was just out of range.

She'd given up ages ago, and yet she still ran across the thick terrain of this god forsaken planet.

Was it fear that drove her to it?

Or did she just not want to appear weak and feminine to her superiors if she was found?

_P3X 667_

_No! 668_

_66…something!_

She felt the heat pass her face before she heard the zap of the staff weapon. She stumbled, her feet giving way beneath her.

She scrambled quickly to her feet, seconds before a second blast hit the ground inches from where she had fallen.

She shrieked; a third blasted just missing her ear.

She felt the tears she'd been holding back slowly flow down her cheeks.

What was the possibility of surviving this?

The numbers and equations forming in her mind, trying to find one small percentage that maybe, _yes_, she would..._could_...come out of this alive.

But no answer prevailed.

And for the first time in her life, Sam Carter realised she could not answer this one equation, and instead managed to confuse herself further.

She was petrified!

She was lost!

She was felt exactly how she had felt the day her mother died, and that had taken years to overcome; the humiliation of seeming weak, the constant reminder that she was…_is_…alone!

She stumbled onwards; the staff blasted raging on behind her. Her breathing heavy and loud in her ears, and her heart had started to ache.

Maybe it was time to give up?

Sam came to a stop and realized that giving up was her only option, as she moved slowly forward as she peered over the cliffs edge.

The wind was strong behind her, almost as if pushing her off the edge.

She brought her body back, almost falling unsteadily as her stomach did flip-flops, she didn't like the choices she'd been handed.

But did it really matter, either way she was going to die?

She turned sharply on her heel as she heard the sound of heavy footsteps and the clang of metal armour. She came face to face with four silver clad Jaffa, their staff weapons open and ready to fire.

She turned her head sideward's, swallowing hard at the drop she had behind her, she looked back then at the Jaffa.

She'd fall through the gorge like a dead weight anyway when they fired their weapons.

She closed her eyes and saw the many faces she'd come to love and respected over the years; her dad, General Hammond, her team mates', her friends…

"_Jack…"_

A tear fell down her cheek and a smile spread across her face, she loved him, "I'm sorry Jack…"

Their first kiss floated into her mind, their first date, everything they'd done together, and more.

Sam let her body fall into the wind, her arms outstretched, and her eyes searching the skies for answers.

She saw the Jaffa peer over the edge at her falling body, the wind rustling past her ears, the fear draining from her every being.

She felt her back come in contact with water, and a pain almost like lying on drawing pins cursed through her, she took in an involuntary deep breath as she sank down to the bottom; the water soothing her wounds and entering her lungs.

The sun light dispersing as the water continued to bury her, until her very existence went black, her back hitting the cold under surface of the river!

_**(Now…)**_

_Sam woke, shooting up from the bed like a rocket, a cold sweat breaking over her skin__, her breathing heavy and her heat beat so loud it could've woken the neighbours._

"_Sam, honey, you okay?" she turned to the left slightly and met Jacks gaze, a chill running down her spine._

"_Yeah, I'm fine just another nightmare is all!" Jack watched as Sam's knuckles went white as she clung onto the bed sheets._

"_C'mere." her head fell onto his shoulder as he brought his arms around her._

"_When will they stop, Jack?" Sam said closing her eyes as she revelled in his warmth._

"_I don't know Sam; you just have to keep fighting!"_

"_What if I can't?" she said, the memories coming back. She hadn't fallen but God; sometimes it felt like she had._

"_Sam, don't talk like that, I know you can do this." Jack kissed her forehead, and removed her slightly from his embrace and looked into her eyes._

"_I__ can't Jack…" Jack wiped away an escapee tear from her cheek with the tip of his thumb and held her chin up with his other hand._

"_Sam?"_

"_But __we__ can…together."_

"_Always" she caught his lips quickly before Jack brought them back down among the covers, he kissed her forehead again and listened as her breathing calmed, telling him that she was almost asleep._

"_Sam?" he whispered._

"_Yes Jack?"_

"_Will you marry me?"_

"_Jack…" Sam snuggled further into his chest, hiding the smile that graced her lips._

"_Sam…?" he said, the worry of rejection obvious in his voice._

"_Did you really need to ask?"_

_End._


End file.
